This invention is directed to a toy which includes a primary movable member movable between a first and second position. Movement from the second position back to the first position is under the influence of a governor which limits the rate of said movement.
Certain toys are constructed so as to include one or more movements of parts of the toys. Included in this group of toys would be toys which characterize animals and/or humans such as dolls and animated toy figures. In the past movable portions of dolls have been restricted to such anatomical features, such as movement of the eyelids, the eyeballs, or the lower lip and chin. In characterized animal figurines, more complex movement has been included, such as mechanical movement of arms and legs and the like.
It is normal practice in manufacturing toys as discussed in the preceding paragraph to try and mimick certain functions of the real life counterpart of the toy. Thus, in dolls, eyelids are made to open and close as the doll is moved from a generally vertical position to a horizontal position, or a tongue, arm or other appendage is made to reach out and retract upon activation of a button or the like.
In other types of toys, such as animated animals, the incorporation of a small spring-wound or electrical motor has resulted in animation of the appendages of the toy upon activation of the motor. Normally in these types of toys motion of the appendages is achieved by incorporating a crank shaft and linking rods linking the appendages to the crank shaft to propel the appendages. In this type of toy, motion is either an all or nothing type of affair-that is, either all of the appendages are working simultaneously or all of them are in an off mode.
In all of the dolls and characterized or motorized animals discussed above, motion of the components of the toy is essentially instantaneous on either reclining or raising the doll, or winding a spring, or moving a button to an on position and the like. Very few toys are known which incorporate delay-type motions. By this it is meant the operator of the toy effects a certain movement motion or the like to the toy, and after a delayed response period seemingly unassociated with the original command motion, the toy then performs an act. One such toy of the immediately described class is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,847. In this toy which incorporates a suction cup within the interior of a doll, when the doll is reclined in a horizontal position and its body is bent with respect to its legs, a suction cup engages an internal surface of the toy. The seal between the suction cup and the surface of the toy is not perfect such that after a delayed response period, the suction force is lost between the suction cup and the surface of the toy and the suction cup is released from said surface. Upon release of the suction cup the toy bends about the hip joints bringing the torso in about a 90.degree. angle with respect to the legs. In this toy then, the child performs one function and the doll, after a delayed response period, responds to that function.
While the above described doll found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,847 incorporates a delayed response, the expression of the response is a single act; that is, the doll executes one movement in response to the delay action mechanism incorporated in the doll. It is considered that toys which were able to accomplish several delayed actions, or a sequence of delayed actions, would find considerable play value in using the same. Further, in the preschool age recipient of toys, such delayed action can be very entertaining in that it seems mysterious and unaccounted for, and therefore contributes to the play value of the toy and its ability to hold the interest of the child for a long period of time.